Holiday gifts for alpha geeks: Part 2 (photos)

Chain stores have little to offer this holiday when compared to the unique gifts you can find if you only look. As a follow up to 10 holiday gift ideas for alpha geeks, here are more hand-picked novelties that'll please any tech hipster on your gift list:

Dot is an attachment for the iPhone 4 and 4S that, together with Kogeto's free Looker app, allows users to capture immersive panoramic video and share it with friends via Facebook, Twitter, and Kogeto.com. (Image Credit: Kogeto)

The Nest Learning Thermostat, built by a group led by the man who also headed up the original iPod and iPhone teams, is designed to improve home energy efficiency by giving households a heating or cooling controller that adapts to usage patterns and incorporates information gathered from the Internet. (Image Credit: Nest)

German manufacturer LEDO has developed a distinct line of “Bulled” LED light fixtures that screw into traditional incandescent receptacles (up to 60 watts). The bulbs use just 11 watts, which amounts to 85% less energy than their incandescent counterparts. They provide 330 degrees of omnidirectional light, are dimmable, and have a claimed lifespan of 80,000 hours. (Image Credit: Ledo)

The Operator-1 from Teenage Engineering, an all-in-one portable synthesizer, sampler and controller, is causing a stir among electronic musicians. That’s because the instrument also crams in a four-track recorder, an effects unit, an FM radio, a microphone and OLED display. The OP-1 is expensive, but the aesthetically pleasing design could help unleash a new wave of music makers. (Image Credit: Teenage Engineering)

Greece is for Lovers have been passionately designing, producing and promoting their products, limited editions and one-offs since 2006. Granny Tunes is an alternative iPod holder made from hand-knitted cotton using the traditional technique of Greek lace making. (Image Credit: Greece is for Lovers)

Who doesn’t want to build robots, rockets and other electronics? This recently released MAKE issue contains 175 kits of all types that are rated on quality, instructions, community, and more. Find a kit worth making this season. (Image Credit: Maker Media)

Jambox packs a punch with an output capacity of 85 decibels--unreal for such a small package. The portable wireless speaker is powered by a pair of proprietary acoustic drivers that produce extreme high (tweeter) and low (woofer) frequencies from a single, ultra-small dome speaker. They work in concert with a moving-wall passive bass radiator and airtight enclosure to deliver room-filling sound. (Image Credit: Jawbone)

Mugo’s toy-like music players will be hard to keep away from the hands of children. Designed by a team of artists, these eye-catching portable devices have 2GB capacity to store photos, videos, and data. They can play MP3, WMA and WAV audio files and come with a rechargeable battery that lasts between 8-10 hours. Best of all, no cables or software is required. (Image Credit: Mugo)

Capacitive touchscreens don't work with winter gloves. But with Mujjo’s Touchscreen Gloves, you'll be able to answer a call or send a text without taking off your (Mujjo) gloves. Voila, no more freezing hands. (Image Credit: Mujjo)

H-Mod's first StealthSwitch was designed to keep your computer privacy in check by allowing you to use your feet to power a USB controller to switch between applications. Now in its third update, the USB footswitch supports up to 5 switches to activate keystrokes, hotkeys, macros, and mouseclicks. It works with both Windows and MAC. (Image Credit: H-Mod)